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El Quemao is a heavy, hollow left-hand reef break at La Santa in Lanzarote. It breaks over extremely shallow volcanic rock, producing short, intense barrels that have earned it a reputation as one of the heaviest waves in the Canary Islands. The wave is short but the power is immense. It sits in a natural lava pool formation that amplifies the incoming swell energy.
Needs a solid north-westerly groundswell. Trade winds are sideshore but the reef setup provides some shelter. Best at mid to high tide when there is more water over the shallowest sections. The 4-8ft range is where it produces its famous barrels. November through March is prime season. Not for the faint-hearted at any size.
The take-off is over a defined section of reef where the swell suddenly hits shallow rock and throws violently. The left barrels quickly and shuts down within 30-50 metres. Positioning must be precise; too deep and you are under the lip, too far out and you miss it entirely.
Extremely dangerous. The shallowest volcanic reef of any regularly surfed wave in the Canaries. Dry reef on the inside at low tide. The wave throws with enormous force over barely-covered rock. Serious injuries (head, back, limbs) have occurred. Helmets are strongly recommended. Only for advanced, experienced surfers.
Park at La Santa and walk along the lava rock to the break. Entry is from the rocks; study where locals enter and exit. The volcanic coastline is sharp and unforgiving.
Small group of local chargers plus visiting big-wave surfers. The consequence keeps numbers down naturally. Do not paddle out here unless you are genuinely experienced in heavy reef breaks. The locals know every contour of the reef.
Watch from the cliff for at least 30 minutes before considering a paddle-out. The wave looks manageable from above but the power is deceptive. Booties and a helmet are genuinely advisable. If El Quemao is too heavy, Famara beach (20 minutes) offers a mellow alternative.
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Combining historical conditions with school holiday crowd pressure to find the sweet spot.
How busy each week is based on school holiday overlap from feeder markets.
The timing score combines two signals: historical conditions quality (how good the skiing or surfing typically is in a given week, based on 5 years of weather data) and crowd pressure (how many of this destination's feeder markets have school holidays that week).
Crowd pressure is weighted by each feeder country's share of visitors. If 40% of a resort's visitors come from France and France is on holiday, that contributes 0.40 to the crowd pressure score. Crowds can reduce the timing score by up to 35%, ensuring conditions still matter most.
Scores: 5 = great conditions with low crowds (the sweet spot). 4 = great conditions with moderate crowds, or good conditions with low crowds. 3 = average. 2 = below average conditions or very crowded. 1 = poor conditions or peak holiday chaos.
Last 28 days of logged conditions.
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Create Profile →Current conditions refresh every 3 hours when the cron runs. Hourly data updates every 30 minutes. The 7-day forecast, luck factor, and packing notes are all pre-computed at the same time.
We compare the 7-day forecast to the last 5 years of marine data for the same week at El Quemao. The delta tells you whether conditions are shaping up better, worse, or about the same as a typical mid-June.
We score each day of the 7-day forecast using the same algorithm as the leaderboard, and highlight the highest scorer.
Open-Meteo's Marine API (swell height, period, water temperature) and Weather API (wind and conditions).
Honestly, no. Every break has tide windows, swell directions and reef contours that a global model cannot see. Treat the score as a starting point, then check a local cam.
The best week for surf at El Quemao is the week of 16 November (score 3/5) with low crowds.
Barely any swell. Not much to work with today. Short-period chop. The waves lack any real push. Strong offshore, clean but tough to paddle into. Best conditions early morning before the sea breeze arrives. Not enough swell to get this spot firing properly.
Heads up: jellyfish: peak season, and rip risk elevated.
Indicators derived from forecast data, not official warnings. Always check local lifeguard or official advice.
Crystal clear water: ~22m visibility
Daily scores over the last 12 months at El Quemao